1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated loading systems and more particularly pertains to a new cart loading system for loading materials on a cart in an orderly and compact manner even if the materials being loaded have different dimensions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Roof trusses may be formed in many different sizes and shapes, and it is becoming increasingly rare that a structure such as a custom built home employs only one, uniform size and shape for every truss used on the house. This has called for flexibility in the manner in which the trusses are built, as each truss that is built may not be the same as the preceding or succeeding trusses.
Within truss fabricating facilities, carts are often employed for moving the truss fabricating material from the location at which the material is cut or other wise shaped into the appropriate size and shape, to the location where the truss is assembled. Typically, the materials for a truss are loaded onto a cart for delivery to the fabrication station. The materials for a single truss will vary not only in length, but often vary in the dimension (width and thickness). Commonly, but not exclusively, boards of two inch (nominal) thickness may be used for all parts of the truss, but the widths of the boards may vary from three inches to twelve or more inches.
Loading of carts is typically handled by a person who physically picks the board from the saw table and places the board in the hopper of the cart. This is, of course, labor intensive but the need to adjust to different board dimensions and board lengths requires quick adaptivity in loading the cart, so that the boards are not just randomly dropped in the hopper with widths oriented in different directions and so that some boards are stacked on a side while other boards are stacked on a face. Such random orientation of the boards in the cart makes the unloading operation more difficult and more time consuming, as the boards need to be moved to jigs where one of the faces is directed downwardly and the sides of the board are substantially vertical. The random orientation of the boards is typically less space efficient. It is avoiding the stacking of the boards in this last mentioned random manner that has posed the most vexing problem in trying to reduce or even eliminate the need for a human to physically load the cart.
In these respects, the cart loading system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of loading materials on a cart in an orderly and compact manner even if the materials being loaded have different dimensions.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new cart loading system construction wherein the same can be utilized for loading materials on a cart in a orderly and compact manner even if the materials being loaded have different dimensions.
The present invention generally comprises a frame for positioning on a floor surface adjacent to a material shaping table, and at least one material support arm assembly for moving a piece of material from the material shaping table to a position over the frame. A carriage assembly is provided for moving a material cart in a first direction and a second direction with respect to the frame, and includes a subframe movable in the second direction on the frame and a shuttle mounted movable in the first direction with respect to the subframe. A first moving assembly is provided for moving the shuttle in the first direction on the subframe, and a second moving assembly is provided for moving the carriage assembly in the second direction on the frame. A detection assembly detects movement of material on the support arm assembly and generates a detection signal. A control assembly controls movement of the shuttle with respect to the frame, and moves the shuttle a predetermined distance in the second direction based upon dimensions of the material determined from the detection signal.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.